RBI bars 6 ISIS men from holding accounts

Taking a cue from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposing a global travel ban and asset freeze against six leaders in the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) and its allied organisations for recruiting or financing foreign fighters, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has promptly followed suit.

An RBI notification dated August 14 says: "…it should be ensured that the name/s of the proposed customer does not appear in the list. Further, banks should scan all existing accounts to ensure that no account is held by or linked to any of the entities or individuals included in the list."

"As far as freezing of funds, financial assets or economic resources or related services held in the form of bank accounts of the designated individuals/entities are concerned, action should be taken as detailed…"

The six additions to the list of terrorists who either recruited foreigners or helped raise finance to perpetrate acts supporting ISIS's terror activities include Al-Adnani, the group's spokesperson. The group's chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi already has a $10 million US bounty on his head.

RBI's list already includes Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted terror mastermind. Another interesting name that figured in the list is that of Bahaziq who was born in undivided Indian and led the Lashkar-e-Taiba ranks in Saudi Arabia.

The five latest additions to the list are Al Jahani, Said Arif, Hajjaj Bin Fahd Al Ajmi, Al Charekh and Hamid Hamad Hamid al-Ali. The first four recruited foreigners for ISIS or helped raise finances for Jabhat al-Nusra. While al Adnani, ISIS spokesperson, has been blacklisted for financing and perpetrating acts supporting ISIS, Hamid Hamad Hamid al-Ali has been blacklisted for helping finance both al-Nusra and ISIS.

ISIS' ranks is said to have an estimated 14,000 foreign fighters hailing from south-east Asia to Europe to Canada.

Indian intelligence reports speak of at least 22 Indians in ISIS ranks. "The main problem is the havoc these fighters are capable of creating after their return to their own countries," said Ajai Sahni, a counter terrorism expert.